Page 1670 - war-and-peace

you said the French... He’ll show you what law is!’ the mob
were saying as if reproving one another for their lack of
confidence.
A few minutes later an officer came hurriedly out of the
front door, gave an order, and the dragoons formed up in
line. The crowd moved eagerly from the balcony toward
the porch. Rostopchin, coming out there with quick angry
steps, looked hastily around as if seeking someone.
‘Where is he?’ he inquired. And as he spoke he saw a
young man coming round the corner of the house between
two dragoons. He had a long thin neck, and his head, that
had been half shaved, was again covered by short hair. This
young man was dressed in a threadbare blue cloth coat lined
with fox fur, that had once been smart, and dirty hemp-
en convict trousers, over which were pulled his thin, dirty,
trodden-down boots. On his thin, weak legs were heavy
chains which hampered his irresolute movements.
‘Ah!’ said Rostopchin, hurriedly turning away his eyes
from the young man in the fur-lined coat and pointing to
the bottom step of the porch. ‘Put him there.’
The young man in his clattering chains stepped clumsily
to the spot indicated, holding away with one finger the coat
collar which chafed his neck, turned his long neck twice
this way and that, sighed, and submissively folded before
him his thin hands, unused to work.
For several seconds while the young man was taking his
place on the step the silence continued. Only among the
back rows of the people, who were all pressing toward the
one spot, could sighs, groans, and the shuffling of feet be

1670 War and Peace